What Saith the Scripture?
http://www.WhatSaithTheScripture.com/
Does GOD Test People Like That?
Or, Biblical Examples of Failed Prophecy, Testing,
and Refinement
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at
the appearing of Jesus Christ"
(1 Peter 1:7).
by Tom Stewart
11-8-98
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Preface
Would God actually promote to us a date primarily to
test and refine us? I think so. Though Abraham was probably extremely glad that he
was not allowed to actually plunge the knife into Isaac, the LORD promoted the necessity
to sacrifice Isaac, primarily to test and refine Abraham. "By faith Abraham,
when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the Promises offered
up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be
called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence
also he received him in a figure" (Hebrews 11:17-19).
The Failed Prophecy of Jonah
In another example of a test, the prophet Jonah was actually disappointed at Nineveh's
repentance. "And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way;
and God repented of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them; and He
did it not. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry" (Jonah
3:10-4:1). God promoted the certainty of the destruction of Nineveh in 40 days as
a demonstration of His holy hatred of sin, but also as a test of Jonah. "And
Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet
forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God,
and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the
least of them" (3:4-5).
What was Jonah's test? Jonah was tested about the mercy of God, as demonstrated
by Jonah's love-- or, lack of it-- for his neighbors, the people of the city of Nineveh.
"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD" (Leviticus 19:18).
God was compassionate about not wanting to destroy the more than 120,000 babies and
children of Nineveh, who could not "discern between their right hand and their
left hand" (Jonah 4:11). The mercy of God toward those who would repent was
the occasion for the LORD to demonstrate true compassion and love.
Of course, Jonah was to obey God by delivering the message to Nineveh, i.e., "Yet
forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown" (3:4). However, Jonah's deficiency
in his love of his neighbor, i.e., Nineveh, was brought out in this test.
Would God actually be so merciful as to forgive and spare Nineveh, if they repented?
Intellectually, Jonah knew God to be merciful. "I the LORD thy God am a jealous
God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation of them that hate Me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love
Me, and keep My Commandments" (Exodus 20:5-6).
But, in his heart, Jonah distrusted God's application of that mercy. Jonah could
not see why God would forgive and spare the very enemy-- the Assyrian Empire-- that
was in the process of exterminating Jonah's nation. Jonah was inasmuch accusing God
of being misguidedly merciful to Nineveh-- demonstrating a graciousness and love,
which was lacking in Jonah. "And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray Thee,
O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before
unto Tarshish: for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger,
and of great kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil" (Jonah 4:2). Instead
of rejoicing over Nineveh's repentance, Jonah bitterly complained that he would rather
be dead than to continue to witness God sparing Nineveh. "Therefore now, O LORD,
take, I beseech Thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live"
(4:3).
For 40 days, the LORD probed and tested Jonah to see if Jonah would show the same
mercy that God would show to Nineveh. Would Jonah be merciful like God? It is evident
that Jonah showed more concern for a gourd that gave him shade than for the people
of Nineveh. "Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which
thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished
in a night: And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than
sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their
left hand; and also much cattle?" (4:10-11).
The Old Testament Book of Jonah ends without any mention of Jonah passing his test,
or repenting of his bitter attitude against God's merciful sparing of penitent Nineveh.
"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7).
Although Jonah appears to have failed his test, we need not fail ours. His failure
is a warning to us to avail ourselves of the grace of God to pass our test. "Let
us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and
find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). Remember, our test is our
willingness to continue patiently "watching" (Luke 12:37) for the
LORD until He Raptures us Home. "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the
grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many
be defiled" (Hebrews 12:15).
The Testing and Refinement of Job
We, who are willing to seek and discover a date for the timing of the Pre-Tribulational
Rapture (as well as other End Time events), need to consider the testing of Job as
an example of our testing and refinement as we wait for our soon Rapture. "And
the LORD direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for
Christ" (2Thessalonians 3:5). The problem of the suffering of the Righteous
is the main theme of the Book of Job. "And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou
considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and
an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast
his integrity, although thou movedst Me against him, to destroy him without cause"
(Job 2:3).
Notice that the LORD claims to be the One who is destroying Job "without cause"
(2:3). Why? Job's friends believe that Job is being punished for sin that Job had
committed and concealed. "Who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the
righteous cut off?" (4:7). Even Job was at a loss as to why would God punish
himself, when he thought he was doing it right. "For the arrows of the Almighty
are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set
themselves in array against me" (6:4). While blame is being pointed at Job and
back to his friends-- "miserable comforters are ye all" (16:2)-- the Almighty
suffers Job's accusation of unfair treatment. "As God liveth, who hath taken
away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul" (27:2).
Job had finally succumbed and sinned earlier in the Book of Job-- "After this
opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day" (3:1). After his discourse with "Eliphaz
the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite" (2:11), Job
still felt himself "righteous in his own eyes" (32:1). A younger man, "Elihu
the son of Barachel the Buzite" (32:2), became angry with Job because Job "justified
himself rather than God" (32:2). "Also against his three friends was his
wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job"
(32:3). Elihu attempted to "speak on God's behalf" (36:2). Concluding his
defense of God, Elihu reminds us that "with God is terrible majesty" (37:22).
But, he did not answer the question: Why was Job suffering this?
The Almighty then responds to Job. "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind,
and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?" (38:1-2).
The LORD then proceeds to give Job-- and us-- an amazing glimpse at the magnificence
of His power and wisdom. "There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth
upon the heaven in thy help, and in His excellency on the sky" (Deuteronomy
33:26). Our Sovereign chooses to test us in the fashion that pleases Himself, and
who "can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?" (Daniel 4:35).
To object to the test is simply to object to God. "Shall he that contendeth
with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it" (Job
40:2). Job was left without any sense of self righteousness. "Then Job answered
the LORD, and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer Thee? I will lay mine
hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I
will proceed no further" (40:3-5).
Job acquitted himself as a Saint. "I know that Thou canst do every thing, and
that no thought can be withholden from Thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without
knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for
me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech Thee, and I will speak: I will demand of Thee,
and declare Thou unto me. I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now
mine eye seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes"
(42:2-6).
Job was tested because God sovereignly deemed it wise to do so. The Creator
"knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust" (Psalm 103:14). If
the Almighty chooses our test, then it must be best for us. "And we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). If none but God understands
our character and the occasion for the test... so be it. We can rest in assurance
that the LORD does "all things well" (Mark 7:37).
Conclusion
God always has a purpose and plan for our benefit, because He "so loved the
world" (John 3:16)-- which means you and me. The Holy Spirit has given us His
prophecies so that we will not be "comfortless" (14:18) about our future
in these troublesome times. Even the trying of a "failed prophecy" may
be used to make us "come forth as gold" (Job 23:10). In the end, if it
causes us to "judge ourselves, [then] we should not be judged" (1Corinthians
11:31). May our testing make known the "manifold wisdom of God" (Ephesians
3:10).
Amen, and Amen.
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